Brazilian History and Foreign Policy
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Peer reviewed
Abstract
Abstract
Objective/context: This article examines how Japanese soft power and soft disempowerment operate in Brazil, in a context marked by the growing presence of China and South Korea in Latin America. The study considers both state actors (such as the Japan Foundation, the CCIJB, JICA, JSPS, and Study in Japan) and nonstate actors (JapaneseBrazilian cultural associations and former Japanese government scholarship recipients), recognizing that Japanese influence in Brazil is produced by a hybrid network of actors. The article is based on the premise that Japanese influence in Brazil is structured around specific cultural dynamics that allow the country to maintain its relevance in a competitive environment marked by the presence of China and South Korea. Methodology: This research adopts a qualitative approach grounded in interpretivism. It includes a systematic literature review, document analysis, and 18 semistructured interviews with state and nonstate actors involved in promoting Japan’s presence in Brazil. Data were examined through thematic analysis supported by Atlas.ti 25. Conclusions: The results show that Japanese soft power in Brazil is structured around three core concepts: sessatakuma (friendly rivalry), menimieanai (invisibility), and yokonarabi (parallel advancement). These dynamics help Japan maintain influence despite Chinese and South Korean expansion, though the risk of soft disempowerment persists. Originality: The study contributes by revealing how Japanese soft power operates in an emerging country with a strong Nikkei presence and by highlighting mechanisms of competitive coexistence that are unexplored in the literature. The article offers a culturally situated interpretive framework, based on three categories derived from Japanese culture, that helps explain mechanisms of competitive coexistence and the risks of soft disempowerment within the Brazilian context. It is also applicable to other disputes involving Asian influence in Latin America.
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BibTeX
@article{Kubo2026Soft,
title = {Soft power japonês no Brasil em contexto de competição asiática},
author = {Edson Keyso de Miranda Kubo and Alexandre Fuccille},
journal = {Colombia Internacional},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.7440/colombiaint127.2026.05},
url = {https://doi.org/10.7440/colombiaint127.2026.05}
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